1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to refrigerating apparatuses performing refrigeration cycles by circulating refrigerant in refrigerant circuits.
2. Background Art
Refrigerating apparatuses performing refrigeration cycles by circulating refrigerant in refrigerant circuits have been known conventionally, and are being used widely as air conditioners and the like. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose air conditioners configured by such refrigerating apparatuses.
In a refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-243301, two indoor units are connected in parallel to one outdoor unit. The operation of this air conditioner can be selected between operation where both the two indoor units are operated and operation where only one of the indoor units is operated. The amount of the refrigerant necessary for performing the refrigeration cycle in the refrigerant circuit decreases as the number of operated indoor units is reduced. In view of this, a receiver is provided in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner for collecting and storing surplus refrigerant when the number of operated indoor units is reduced.
The air conditioner disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-146346 includes two outdoor units including heat source side heat exchangers. In a refrigerant circuit of this air conditioner, the two heat source side heat exchangers are connected in parallel to each other, and two user side heat exchangers installed indoors are connected in parallel to each other. In this air conditioner, receivers are provided in the outdoor units for the purpose of adjusting the amount of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit according to the operation state.